Method of making oil gas



METHOD OF MAKTNG OIL GAS Filed April 22, 192.4

INVENTOR Patented Mar. 31, 1931 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD A. DIETERLE, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS METHOD OF MAKING OIL GAS Application led April 22,

The present invention relates to making oil gas, and more particularly to a process for making oil gas continuously.

In carrying out the process, the oil is introduced continuously into a generator which is heated by some external source of heat and which converts the oil into a fixed gas. The generator is heated by external heat. The heated products of combustion are preferably utilized to preheat the air supplied for maintaining the combustion which supplies the external heat.

In the drawings, which illustrate the preferred apparatus for carrying out the invention,-

Iligure- 1 is an elevation taken partly in section through the generator;

Figure 2 is a vertical'section through the generator along the line II--II of Figure 1;

and l Figure 3 is a detail vertical cross section through the preferred nozzle.

The process will be explained in connection with the preferred apparatus shown in the drawings. In the illustrated embodiment of the apparatus, the reference numeral 1 indicates the generator. The casin 2 of the generator is preferably made of re ractory brick work. In the upper part of the generator is a chamber 3 into which the oil or a mixture of oil and steam is sprayed through a nozzle 4. The preferred form of nozzle is shown in Figure 3. It has a mixing chamber 5 into which steam and oil pass through passages 6 and 7, respectively, and are discharged through the nozzle opening 8 in a fine atomized spray. The steam and oil are supplied through pipes 9 and 10, respectively. The oil is preferably supplied at little or no pressure, and is injected by the aspiratingaction of the steam in the nozzle. This permits oil lines to be employed carrying little or no pressure. In case of bursting of such an oil line, there is a minimum danger, asvcontrasted with the case where the oil lines carry a considerable pressure and where the oil is thrown out in a spray when an oil line is broken. In case oil alone is sprayed into the generator, an

ordinary oil spraying nozzle is employed, in

1924. Serial No. 708,182.

which case the oil is forced into the nozzle under pressure.

The atomized oil and steam or oil alone, as the case may be, passes through the chamber 3 downwardly over the gas xing means, which consists of the three banks of heaters 11, 12 and 13, to the base of the generator and the oil gas passes out through a pipe connection 14. The heaters 11, 12 and 13 are of the double surface type, as contrasted with the single surface or checkerbrick type of heater, and consist of banks of highly heated tubes which heat the atomized oil and convert it into a lixed or premanent oil gas.

The heaters 11, 12 and 13 are supplied with heat from an external source as dis tinguished by heat produced internally of the generator by a partial combustion of the oil being gasified. As shown in the drawings, the heat is produced from a combustion chamber 15 supplied with Voil or gas through a nozzle 16. Checker brick work 17 is placed between the combustion chamber' and the ends of the tubes of the heater 13 to keep the llame from impinging directly upon and damaging the heater tubes. The heated products of combustion pass through the banks of the tubes of the heater 13, then up through a flue 18, and through the tubes of the heater 12, and through another flue 19, through the tubes of the heater 11, and out through a connection 20 to a recuperator 21. The recuperator 21 may be of any suitable form, preferably containing tubes of calorized steel or heat resisting alloys. The products of combustion pass through the recuperator 21 and preheat the air for combustion supplied tothe combustion chamber 15 from the recuperator through a pipe 22.

The tubes of heaters 11, 12 and 13 may be made of any suitable heat resisting material, but are preferably made of heat resisting metal, such as calorzed steel, nichrome or chrome steel alloys, since metal allows a good heat exchange. However, other heat resisting materials, such as carborundum or other refractories may be employed for making these tubes.

In carrying out the process, the heaters 11, 12 and 13 are brought to a high degree of heat by means of the products of combustion supplied from the combustion chamber 15. A stream of atomized oil, or atomized oil and steam, is passed downwardly through the generator over the heaters 11, 12 and 13, which act to fix the oil into a permanent or fixed gas. The oil is supplied continuously, except when shutdowns may be necessary for repairs or for burning out carbon. The generator is also continuously supplied with heat from an external source.

The apparatus has the advantage of continuous operation over the intermittent type of apparatus employing heated checkerwork now usually used in making oil gas. My apparatus has the further advantage of being more readily decarbonized. In the checkerbrick type machine now usually used in making oil gas by the intermittent process, the checker brick gets gradually carbonized and there is no efficient way of decarbonizing it. In my apparatus the generator, and particularly the surfaces of the heaters 1l, 12 and 13 over which the atomized oil passes, may be readily cleared of any carbon deposited from the oil, by shutting ofl' the oil supply and passing steam or air or a mixed stream of steam and air down through the generator to burn off the carbon deposits.

Usually the oil will be introduced with steam. When steam is used the hydrogen content of the gas is raised, and the gas is not as luminous as when oil alone is used. In case a very rich highly luminous gas, such as Pintsch gas, is desired, oil alone is sprayed into the generator.

The present invention is not limited to the details of its preferred form, but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A process of generating oil gas, which comprises supplying hot combustion gases upwardly to and through vertically spaced banks of heating tubes stacked in a cham ber, simultaneously spraying oil on the outside surfaces of the heating tubes and generating oil gas by heat exchange with the combustion gases, and withdrawing the resulting oil gas from the bottom of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD A. DIETERLE. 

